Esplendor Geometrico

(SP) certainly need no introduction to indusfans. This cult band that has a huge following is sometimes stated as the missing link between harsh industrial sounds and EBM. Their industrial rhythms lead to releases on well respected labels like Staalplaat, Geometrik and Daft. BIMFEST is proud to have these industrial noise godfathers on Belgian playground.

Esplendor Geométrico is a Spanish industrial outfit formed in the early eighties by Arturo Lanz, Gabriel Riaza, and Juan Carlos Sastre. In 1990 Saverio Evangelista joined and together with the only remaining memben Arturo has created a sound that was a pioneer in the rythmic industrial genre.
Arturo moved to China so live performances became rare but here they are again with the new record "Pulsion" to boot! Three years ago they did a tour in Japan together with DAF's Robert Görl which you can also see live on our festival.

Can you introduce Esplendor Geometrico for those who don't know you?
Arturo: A group of intense music, visceral, hypnotic and based on industrial electronic and obsessive rhythms.
Saverio: Esplendor Geom?trico was born in Madrid 30 years ago and... a lot of time passed since then. The very first album was industrial, but since then the music of the group began to evolve and today for us is not easy to define our music. Probably the best way is "electronic tribalism".

What are your influences? Suicide? Throbbing Gristle?
Arturo: My first influences when I was in the group El Aviador Dro (1979), were the Sex Pistols, Pere Ubu, Neu! and the first TG and Cabaret Voltaire. In 1981 I stopped listening to other electronic music.
Saverio: At the very beginning TG and Cabaret Voltaire inspired me but, as we just said, very soon we took a very personal way of making music.

You are pioneers in the industrial genre, ever thought you would have such a long career and such a big influence?
Arturo: Not, to be honest. That wasn't our purpose.
Saverio: To be honest, we never thought about stopping making music. Probably the secret is that for us music is not a stressing activity. So we can take our time for any decision about the group.

I have a few of your albums, the 1980-1982 compilation and Tarikat. They seem to have a more mechanical feeling while most songs on Pulsion has a more natural and warmer character. Do you agree?
Arturo: Maybe in the eighties the sound of EG was more cold and minimalist, except Mekano LP Turbo.
Saverio: The name Pulsion also reminds me of pulsating or a pulsar, all natural phenomena, so that would make sense.Probably your feeling is correct: we consider our last album probably more "organic" and less "mechanical" in some way. About the title, Pulsion refers to the urge to do something that is for us, in fact, a "natural phenomena" when we compose our music!

How come there are different songs on the cd and the lp version of Pulsion?
Arturo: They are two different formats and in large part to different audiences. We thought since the beginning the most appropriate tracks for the CD and for vinyl.

The songs with Japanese sounding titles like Japo and Michi Michi are the more harsher songs. Japanese noise is very extreme so that can't be a coincidence?
Arturo: Is just a coincidence!
Saverio: Probably it is a coincidence. But, anyway, we know that Japanese noise is very extreme: much more than EG music!

What gives you inspiration?
Arturo: Currently my biggest influence is China and its culture and traditional music. I'm living in Beijing since 10 years
Saverio: The music itself. Our music isn't "conceptual" at all and it borns in a "spontaneously" way.

The economic crisis seems like one of the things that can make you create horribly hardhitting music...
Arturo: Fortunately the crisis in China is relative. It is a country in constant change and growth.
Saverio: We didn't change our music because of economic crisis. But we are conscious that probably people need to listen to more music now in these difficult moments. This could explain why we are playing much more in the last two years than before.
Is it correct to say that you are similar to SPK in the way that they show the facts in a neutral way, but leave the viewer to have their own opinion?
Arturo: I think so. We contacted with Graeme of SPK in 1981, we sent our first single (Necrosis en la Poya) and our first cassette and he liked a lot: he thought we were on the same line. Personally I loved the first records of SPK.
Saverio: Definitely yes! This is our attitute towards the way show the facts.

I heard some stories that your live shows can be quite extreme, like in the 1996 Belgium gig, people started throwing with tabels. Have any more of those crazy anecdotes?
Arturo: I honestly do not remember!
Saverio: Are you sure? We don't remember at all this fact. For us was a very nice concert! Probably being on stage we miss what happens among the public!

This being said, what can we expect of EG at the Bimfest gig in Antwerp?
Arturo: A strong show with the typical sound of EG. I hope you will enjoy it as I do in a EG concert!
Saverio: We enjoy a lot to play live, and the public feels it. Our gigs are very powerful, and we spend all of our energies during them!